The Reluctant Elf
by chartreuseian
Summary: Christmas Funtimes with your very own elf. What more could a girl want? Well, aside from an explanation...  Part two of 'A Very Teslen Christmas'


**I want to preface this by saying that I have no idea what winter is truly like. For me 15 degrees is enough to pull out the thick winter scarves so this could be so wrong it's not funny but I did try my hardest and, well, you should be focusing on other things :P And, as of yet I've never been ice skating (doing it on Wednesday though :D) so that's kinda vague too...**

**Thank you to all who suggested carols for me to use. Only two appear here but a few more will appear further down the track but here's a little shout out to Chapa'ai-hi and britishgirldots234 (I know that's not quite how you spell your name but ff keeps editing it out, sorry) for their suggestions of "Deck the Halls" and "Silent Night".**

**Also, I want to know what all your favourite Christmas decorations (for the tree) are. Please and thank-you!**

**Hope you're all enjoying whatever weather you're having at the moment, be it rain (woot woot, just don't stop or the humidity will eat me), hail or shine and I shall be back next week with another instalment of your Christmas present!**

**xx**

* * *

><p>Helen scrubbed a hand over her face, stretching her shoulders as she double checked her paper work. It seemed she was (dare she even think the words?) finished for the day. Everything was signed, copied, sorted and stamped. Done. And, she thought happily as she checked the clock, it was only 5pm!<p>

Then a knock at the door sounded and her heart sank. Another crisis here to ruin whatever possibility she had of a relaxing evening.

"Come in," she called, trying to keep the disappointment and annoyance from her voice.

The door opened a crack and, instead of a timid looking Henry or a harassed looking Will a rather self satisfied Nikola poked his head around the door.

"Busy?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, it's you," she said, slumping back into her chair. "What can I do for you?"

"Not having a good night then?" he asked, his voice softening as he pushed open the door and walked through.

"I'm just tired Nikola, nothing more. Now, what can I help you with?"

"Check your schedule," he advised, his face lighting up as he took a seat on the corner of her desk.

"Why?" she asked carefully, shooting him a confused look before tapping a few keys to get the plan of her day to pop up on screen.

_5:30pm – Christmas Funtimes with your very own alcoholic elf + faithful assistants (faithful to you, of course, not to the elf)_

"What did you do now?" she asked with a sigh, shaking her head as he bent over to look down at the monitor.

"Damn Heinrich," he muttered before straightening up. "The elf part wasn't supposed to be in there."

"Well you do have rather elfish features," she allowed with a smirk and he scowled. "Very pointy."

He made a face.

"All you need is a Christmas hat and a pair of tights!"

"Alright, enough is enough," he cut in darkly, pushing up off the table to walk around to stand behind her chair.

"Up," he commanded, grabbing her shoulders as he tried to propel her from the seat.

"Nikola!" she exclaimed on unsteady feet. "What on earth are you doing?"

"_We_ are going out," he corrected, sliding and arm around her waist to help steady her. "Christmas funtimes and all that. Now go get changed."

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain the meaning of this," she said, pushing away his arm and spinning to face him, hands on hips.

Nikola let out a long suffering sigh before grabbing her elbow and tugging her towards the door.

"We are going out for the evening. Taking the children and doing the Christmas-y thing," he explained as he continued to tug her towards the door. Helen fought his grasp, finally breaking free just as the stepped over the threshold.

"The others are in on this?" she asked, slightly incredulous.

"Yes Helen," he said patronizingly. "Think of it as a family excursion. I decided you need to get out and enjoy the Christmas season a little more and, because you're so stubborn it'd never happen on your own, the children and their stand in Daddy came up with a plan. So go. Get. Changed."

On the last word he placed his hand on the small of her back, giving her a not too gentle shove towards the elevator just down the corridor.

"Nikola, really," she said. "This is ridiculous, even for you."

"It's cold out," he said smoothly as they stepped into the waiting elevator, ignoring her comment. "I think it's meant to snow tonight too so you might want to go for the thick red sweater in the back of the cupboard."

"What sweater?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Back of the closet, right hand side."

"And I don't suppose there's anything I can do that will allow me to spend a quiet night at home, curled up with a book in front of the fire?" she said with a sigh.

"Nothing whatsoever," Nikola agreed with a wide smile. "Now go get changed and we'll meet you down stairs in 20 minutes." With a peck on the cheek he stepped from the elevator, almost bouncing down the corridor.

"Will you be wearing the elf tights?" she called after him, pleased when his step faltered but a little disappointed that he didn't make a comment in return.

As the doors slid shut on the elevator once more she briefly considered ignoring his words and finding a room to hide out in for the rest of the night but she had a sneaking suspicion that if she did, he'd come find her anyway and then probably insist on helping her dress. Shaking her head at the idea she tried to brush of the waves of temptation that accompanied the thought. Better to heed his words than struggle against him. It was a fight she knew she'd never win.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later Helen made her way downstairs, wearing the red sweater she didn't know she owned. As he'd said it had been in the back of her wardrobe on the right hand side but never in her life had Helen seen the garment. None the less she'd donned it, hoping that by playing along, Nikola might be convinced to give up sooner rather than later. That and it look rather good on her.<p>

She was just shrugging into her winter coat and scarf as she rounded the last corner before the giant staircase when she heard a faint humming coming from somewhere below. Slowing down, she crept towards the banister to peer down at the source of the humming.

And lo and behold, it was her very own elf, humming away merrily as he rocked on his heels. He was dressed in a long, thick winter coat, the charcoal matching his pants perfectly while the red scarf wound around his neck provided a somewhat unexpected dash of colour.

He looked dapper and probably knew it but Helen couldn't help but stand and stare as she compared this moment to a Christmas many years ago. It had been his last Christmas, just over two weeks before his planned 'death' and, considering the rarity with which they were in the same city at the same time, he'd insisted on taking her out for Christmas. She'd tried to protest, saying he needed to keep a low profile but, as he'd done today, he'd simply marched in and told her they were going out.

They'd met in the foyer of his hotel and while he hadn't been humming, the scene was remarkably similar to the one presented to her now. Unable to keep from smirking at his obvious excitement, Helen cleared her throat softly, knowing it would draw his attention.

The moment he turned his head to find the source of the noise, his humming stopped and, if she hadn't known better, Helen would have sworn he had the good sense to look embarrassed.

"Hurry up then," he groused and she chuckled. His ability to turn from a jolly Christmas elf (sans hat of course) to a sullen child was second to none and, quite frankly, adorable. It made her want to pinch his cheeks some days.

"What was that?" she asked, heeding his request and heading down the stairs.

"What was what?"

"Don't play coy," she chastised with a grin. "What were you humming?"

He shot her a dark look before ducking his head slightly, fiddling with the cuff of one sleeve as he mumbled something under his breath.

"Pardon?"

"It was 'Deck the Halls', alright?" he snapped, pulling a face before twisting away and tugging on his gloves roughly.

"As in 'with boughs of holly'?" she asked with a little laugh, ever so slightly disbelieving. This was, after all, Nikola Tesla and he most certainly didn't hum.

"It's called Christmas spirit Helen, ever heard of it?" he teased, sour look still on his face.

"Sing it for me?"

"Not on your life."

"What if I beg?"

Nikola smirked.

"Actually, I take that back," she said with an apprehensive look at his now smirking face.

"Will you sing it for me?" he prodded, stepping closer with a wide smile. "I've always admired your singing voice."

"Not even if it were a duet," she told him, fighting the urge to reach out and tap the end of his nose. "Now, is there a point to all this?" she asked, gesturing broadly. "Or are you here simply to assault my hearing and butcher a perfectly good song?"

"Grinch," he muttered, turning to the door and swinging it open.

"I thought Will and Henry were to accompany us," she said lightly, walking through the door he held open for her.

"They're getting the car," he mumbled and she grinned.

"Oh, don't get so down _Nikki_," she joked as she pulled on her gloves.

"I go to all this trouble and this is what I get in return!" he exclaimed, glaring at her as they walked down the stairs.

"This is hardly trouble Nikola, all you've done is force me to give up my quiet evening of rest and relaxation so that I can supervise you as you try to rain terror down upon the unsuspecting citizens of the city," she chastised and he rolled his eyes.

"Firstly, I had to force the concubine and wolf boy to do this, secondly, there will be no terror of which you speak unless you try and run away from me this evening and _thirdly_," he responded hotly, narrowing his eyes as he paused. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to find that sweater?"

"Well, as much as I appreciate the gesture, I don't see what's so special about it," Helen said evenly, trying not to laugh at the sheer frustration in his gaze.

"It's as close a replica as I could find of the one you gave me for Christmas in... Oh, I think it would have 1917."

"It was 1916," she corrected quietly, feeling a little dizzy. How did she not see it? The sweater, as nice as it was, wasn't modern or particularly fashion forward but the soft red knit did in fact bear a remarkable resemblance to the only thing she'd ever managed to knit. It had originally been intended for James but it had been her first attempt and, not quite sure of what she was doing, the damn thing had ended up several sizes too small. Nikola had known it wasn't originally meant for him but when she'd offered it to him, he'd been so sweet about it that she'd almost wished it had been. She had very fond memories of that day and of the sweet peck he gave her in thanks. He'd even worn it all day.

"Yes well, you see how difficult it was for me to find one?" he continued, brow furrowed. "Plus the few I did find were nasty knockoffs, purely synthetic and made for men. There was no way you were going to fit them," he added with lingering gaze on her chest.

"Eyes up, Nikola," she commanded softly and he sighed, looking up at her, face still creased in annoyance.

"That was very sweet of you," she choked out, reaching a hand out to him only to drop it before she made contact. "Thank you."

His eyes narrowed as he studied her for a second.

"Did I just make you speechless?" he asked excitedly, the eager puppy dog returning.

"Not yet," she said with a small sigh, turning to watch as a car pulled up in front of them and she slipped on her gloves.

"Hey Doc!" Henry called, winding down the window to grin at her. "We didn't think you'd make it."

"Nikola can be very persuasive when he chooses," she replied, shooting him a grin. Nikola chuckled and dashed to her side before she could take a step, offering his arm. She thought about shooing him away, after all she was perfectly capable of walking herself but he was smiling happily and it was cold and... and, unable to come up with any other justifications, she accepted, trying not to think about how nice it was to have his body pressed against hers.

Carefully he escorted her down the stairs, taking his time. Whether he was trying to show off to the others or simply relaxed enough to give up the hurried pace he usually employed, she wasn't certain but when he opened the door for her, she didn't care so much. This warm, caring, considerate Nikola was one she hadn't seen in quite some time and, well aware that it wouldn't last, she was going to take advantage of it.

With a polite smile she slid in, turning to her two young employee's for answers as Nikola headed around to the other side.

"So, where are off to?" she asked, hoping to sound nonchalant.

Both boys shared a look before Henry turned in his seat to flash her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry Doc, he threatened us with death by snark if we told."

"Good boy Heinrich," Nikola praised as he slid into the car. "And just for that I'll buy you a sweet."

Henry pulled a face but said nothing, turning in his seat to face the front as Will started up the car.

"I don't get why we can't tell her," Will remarked and Henry chuckled.

"Do I really need to explain to you the side effects of disobeying?" Nikola drawled, picking at his nails carelessly.

"You do know I have my own methods of getting information, right?" Helen chimed in softly, starling the other occupants of the car ever so slightly. Her tone was light and teasing but there was enough of a husky undertone that she just knew Nikola was going to love. She'd sort of, _almost_ forgotten about the two men sitting in the front.

Nikola was the first to break the silence, smirking at her as she chuckled.

"Do your worst," he replied darkly, throwing his arms as wide as the car would allow.

"The scenery," she said with a sigh, shaking her head as though such dirty thoughts had never occurred to her. "I'm not exactly unfamiliar with this part of the world."

"Nice try," Nikola acknowledged, snaking a hand towards her with the obvious goal of her thigh in mind.

"For instance," she said with a meaningful look in his direction as she slapped his hand, "I know that, given the fact we're taking Monument Drive that we're going to go to either Main Street or Bourken Street though I'd lean towards the latter. You did say 'Christmas funtimes' and from memory, Bourken Street leads onto Graham Park which is where the city's Christmas tree is erected every year. _And_, as it's the second weekend of December, tonight they'll be lighting up the tree with a big festival that takes over the entire street."

There was a pause.

"O.K, so which one of you told her," Nikola asked threateningly but Helen just laughed.

"You forget how long I've lived in Old City," she said with a condescending pat on the hand. Nikola took advantage of the contact, flipping his hand to grab hers before she could pull away.

"I still think they told you," he muttered, lacing his fingers through hers. Helen smiled at him but said nothing, leaning back in her seat to watch the snow covered streets fly by. It didn't escape her notice (and, as such probably not his either) that their hands were still joined but as Will and Henry began to bicker over where it would be best to park, she let it slip for the moment.

After several terse words and tense minutes they found a car park and everyone disembarked, Will and Henry both wearing dark looks. Nikola, on the other hand looked positively radiant, offering Helen his arm the second they were out of the car and on the side walk. She accepted it absently, a little unnerved to think such an action came so naturally but grateful when it became apparent that the high-heeled boots she'd chosen were highly inappropriate.

In silence the four of them had walked the few blocks to the park and Helen's breath was taken away by the sight. The entire park and adjacent street were lit up beautifully, bright and happy stalls crowding the area to make thin streets as carollers strolled around singing a mixture of classical carols and more modern songs. The laughter of small children could be heard from all around, the babble of everything else being drowned out by the sweet and innocent sounds. In the centre of it all stood a large tree, still dark but, judging by the growing crowd at its base, that wasn't going to last for long.

"Will!" a familiar voice chirped from behind them, causing everyone to turn.

"Abby!" Will cheered, rushing over and giving her a hug and a rather deep kiss.

"Magnus, Henry, Tesla," Abby greeted as Will pulled away, careful to keep his arm around her waist.

"Hello Abby," Helen replied, smiling at the young woman despite herself. In her bright pink beanie and bouncy curls, Abby appeared almost childlike and, as strange as the thought might seem, Helen could see some of her younger self in the bubbly girl.

At once Henry, Will and Abby began talking animatedly and Helen let her mind wander, leaning more heavily against Nikola. He was warm and strong and smelt rather wonderful and, for the past week had made few enough advances towards her that she felt such an action would be receive with a little less innuendo than normal. Surprisingly enough, Nikola said nothing, simply holding her hand snugly against his arm.

"We're gonna go watch the tree," Henry said with a smile. "Wanna come?"

"No, it's fine," Helen said, waving at him dismissively before Nikola could talk. "I'd like to take a walk through the stalls. Give me a call when you're ready to head home."

Henry gave her a sceptical look, glancing at Nikola before raising an eyebrow.

"Go, I'll be fine," she said with a laugh. His fear of Nikola, while generally well placed was rather cute.

"So eager to be alone with me," Nikola whispered in her ear and she chuckled.

"Forgive me for wanting to avoid the crush down there."

"Oh just admit it Helen, you want me all to yourself."

"Actually, I'm starting to wish I'd brought my gun," she muttered, giving his arm a tug as she headed off towards the closest stalls.

"Too many witnesses," he whispered in her ear once more and she rolled her eyes, looking at the trinkets laid out for inspection. For several minutes, Nikola was quiet, apparently content to have her arm as they wandered the crowded streets and she had to admit it was nice. His presence by her side now and in the last week had been comforting and, surprisingly unobtrusive. Together they wandered side by side through the rather old fashioned market. The dilapidated buildings that fenced them in gave the bright and bubbly party an oddly romantic feel, the twinkling light bulbs one of the only indications that they were in a modern city and not the London she grew up in. In truth, that was one of the things that had always attracted her to Old City for her own Sanctuary. Some parts of the town were sad and in desperate need of repair but, underneath the grime those across the river couldn't see past was a heart of gold. Like any city it had its underbelly but it was times like this that the city showed off its full charm.

Just as they rounded makeshift corner, the soft sounds of her favourite carol reached her ears. A small clutch of singers stood in the middle of the 'street' dressed in rather old fashioned garb as they presented a sweet version of Silent Night. Young children and their parents stood around the group, listening as their voices rose and fell in perfect harmony and she sighed involuntarily. Smiling, she leant against Nikola more heavily as her mind wandered. Helen carried precious few memories of her mother yet this song always managed to conjure up images of the fair haired woman she'd barely known, most specifically of a Christmas when Helen was no more than seven years old. They'd spent the whole day together and while she couldn't quite recall what they'd been doing, Helen did remember very clearly being exhausted, her mother carrying her to bed as she softly sang Silent Night.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Nikola asked quietly, laying his other hand on top of hers, giving it a light squeeze.

"Just thinking about Christmas's past," she responded softly, placing her hand over his and squeezing back.

"Which one?" Nikola joked with a small smile and she chuckled.

"Candy cane?" a young voice asked suddenly, cutting Helen off before she could respond. Looking down they were both a little shocked to see a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old standing before them in a rather fetching elf costume, red curls escaping the gaudy hat she wore. Helen had seen her darting through the crowd, handing out treats but was startled to see the child before them. She'd almost forgotten that she and Nikola weren't in their own little bubble.

"Of course," Nikola replied smoothly, smiling down at the young girl, holding out his hand for the candy canes she was brandishing. The girl dimpled up at him happily, depositing the sweets in his hand before beaming up at him. "And may I say, you make for a very convincing elf," he added and the girl blushed slightly.

"My big sister made it," she explained with yet another grin. "Mom told her that if she wanted to sing tonight she had to take me too and all the others are in costume so she made me one too."

"Which is your sister?" Nikola asked, relinquishing Helen's hand to crouch in front of the girl.

"The one in the middle with the red hair," she replied, pointing out the young woman whose voice rang out above all the others. "She's very good, isn't she?"

"Most certainly," Nikola replied solemnly, nodding. "Why aren't you singing with them too?"

"I will," she insisted. "But later, not this song."

"Which song?"

"Deck the Halls," the elf replied with a proud smile and Helen couldn't help but laugh as Nikola's lips twitched. "What's so funny?" she asked, hands on hips as she glared up at Helen belligerently.

"She's just laughing because I asked her to sing that song earlier but she wasn't very good at it," Nikola replied with a grin and knowing look.

"Liar," Helen accused. "He's the one who can't sing," she told the girl with a smile. For a moment the child looked confused but then her eyes cleared.

"You should just sing it together then," she said, nodding as if she'd figured out the problems of the universe. "Then no one would be able to tell which of you are really bad."

"I tried that," Nikola said, adding in a sigh for effect. "But she said she won't sing it with me."

"Then I think your wife is silly," the girl said, brow furrowing. "It's Christmas after all." Coughing uncomfortably Helen felt her mouth go dry as Nikola turned slightly to wink at her in acknowledgement of her discomfort.

She opened her mouth to continue but as the song drifted to a close she shut it again, eyes lighting up.

"I have to go," she said with a quick smile. "My song is soon." And, with that, she was gone, darting into the crowd.

Straightening up Nikola flashed Helen a grin, holding out a candy cane to her.

"I must say I'm rather impressed," she said, taking the sweet before looping her arm back through his. Strangely enough the few moments without his body pressed next to hers had left her feeling rather cold.

"I don't understand why you think I'm so terrible with kids," he said with a sigh. "Just because I am the stuff of nightmares doesn't mean they all run away from me."

"It's not that," she explained, unwrapping the treat and sticking the end in her mouth to suck on. "It's the fact that, for the entire time I've known you, you've expressed at best a tolerance for children."

"Shows what you know," he snorted as she bit down on the candy cane.

"Either way," she said, placating him, "you did very well with the young girl."

"She's a cute kid," he allowed, tugging at her gently until they started up their slow pace once more. Helen said nothing, simply smiling as she polished off the sticky treat in no time. This almost domestic side of Nikola was odd but a little comforting too. For all the years they'd known each other he'd shown nothing but a passing interest in children, seeing them as little more than grubby balls of noise that often got in his path as he walked down the street but tonight he'd been good with the girl, kind and gentle but able to joke with her too. Sighing internally Helen put it down as yet another facet of Nikola she'd have to discover a little more about one day.

"Hungry?" he said, interrupting her train of thought. "You practically inhaled the candy cane."

"And you haven't touched yours."

Sighing Nikola handed over his still wrapped lolly which Helen gratefully plucked from his grasp.

"Thank you," she said, fiddling with the plastic until she was able to suck again on the sugary delight that was the delectable Christmas treat.

"How about we get you some real food," he suggested, eyeing her as she finished the second candy cane in a few bites. Before Helen could protest he was dragging her towards the nearest stall and the smell of roasted nuts filled her nostrils.

They squabbled briefly over who was to pay (he won, of course) but soon enough were continuing to meander through the markets, perusing the handmade Christmas ornaments as they plucked from the small bag they held between them.

"This is all very lovely Nikola," Helen started, unsure of how to thank him for what was turning out to be a very pleasant evening. The crowds were thinning as everyone headed towards the great tree, but Helen was content where she was.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he said earnestly, giving her a disturbingly warm smile. Sincere Nikola was frightening.

"You've gone to quite a bit of effort," she added and he sighed.

"No hidden agenda, I promise," he replied.

"Who are you and what have you done with Nikola Tesla?" she demanded jokingly and he chuckled.

"You know my plans Helen, they are very clear and well set out. Nothing has changed, I assure you."

"But that doesn't explain all the Christmas cheer," she insisted, squeezing his arm lightly.

"You really don't understand the concept of the holiday season," he said with a mocking sigh, shaking his head.

"Excuse me for being a little shocked when Mister World Domination turns into Nikki the Elf overnight."

"Don't call me that," he grumbled and she laughed.

"What? An elf or Nikki?" she teased.

"If you don't sto-."

"_Deck the halls with boughs of holly."_

Face darkening, Nikola scowled at her.

"You planned this, didn't you?"

"Oh how I wish I had," she said, laughing merrily as the carollers continued their song.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure there isn't anything you'd like to see?" she asked as they meandered down yet another disorientatingly similar row of stalls. They'd been walking for an hour or so and while the concert at by the tree was starting to pick up, neither had much of an inclination to go and stand in the crowd.<p>

"Well," Nikola said slyly, offering her a dazzling grin. "Now that you mention it..." For the entire time they'd been at the markets he'd been surprisingly quiet, allowing her to lead the way as they walked and his innuendo laden comments had been kept to a minimum.

She raised an eyebrow as he gave her a mischievous smile before promptly tugging on her arm.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" she said with a laugh but before she could rescind her offer he was steering her through the streets at an alarming pace, hurrying down the alleyways until she was well and truly lost. Grasping her hand tightly he continued to drag her about and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Nikola!" she cried, trying to get him to slow down but he was relentless, striding away with legs that were frustratingly longer than her own.

"Hurry up," he encouraged, barely turning to flash her a grin as they dodged a clutch of tittering teenagers.

"But where are we going?" she asked, smiling at his antics despite herself.

"Just you wait," he replied, his voice full of uncharacteristic enthusiasm as they strode along. Helen laughed once more, allowing his joy to sweep her up.

Then, suddenly, he stopped dead, Helen almost losing her balance as he jerked on her arm. She opened her mouth to chastise him but then caught sight of the source of his glee, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Ice skating," she breathed, the corners of her lips turning up into a smile,

"I told them you'd like it," Nikola said smugly, chuckling as he urged her forwards.

"Them?" she echoed, brow creasing in confusion.

"Dr. Expendable and... Henry," he said, correcting himself as she shot him a dark look. "They didn't think you'd be interested in ice skating but I told them you'd love it."

Helen said nothing, still unable to take her eyes from the man made rink and twinkling lights.

"So?" he prompted. "Do you love it?"

"I do Nikola, thank you," she said with a laugh and his smile broadened magnificently.

"Then it's settled," he said confidently, taking her hand and leading her over to the cue.

"No, Nikola we can't," she protested gently, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"Don't be silly," he chided. "This is the whole reason I brought you here and we aren't going anywhere until you get out on that ice."

"Really," she insisted, "this is lovely and I'm flattered that you went to all this effort but I haven't been skating in years."

"Well then, I'll be there to support you, make sure you don't bruise your delightful derrière and all that," he said softly, smirking at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Nikola," she said warningly, pulling away from him so she could look him straight in the eye.

"Oh come on Helen," he said, exasperated. "You love skating, always have. What kind if a suitor would I be if I didn't take you skating?"

"So that's what you think you are?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Well what do you think I am?"

"Annoying?" she offered with a snide smile. "Deranged?"

"Loveable?" he suggested, stepping closer to her.

"Incorrigible?"

"Determined?"

"Frustrating?"

"Endearing?"

"Paying," she insisted with a smirk as they came to the head of the queue.

"The things I do for you," Nikola complained, drawing out his wallet to pay for their 15 minute allotment.

"You're the one who wanted to go skating," she reminded him as she grabbed a pair of skates in the right size.

"My intention was never to have you berate me for my attempts at valour," he said with a sigh and she chuckled.

"Did you really expect anything less?" she asked as they sat down to swap their shoes.

"I didn't expect to have to put on a pair of _rented_ shoes," he remarked with a grimace. "Maybe you're right, this may not be such a good idea."

"Nonsense," Helen admonished, pulling on her boots. "This was all your idea and I'm not going out there without you."

"See, I knew you couldn't live without me," he whispered, leaning in to brush a soft kiss to her ear before pulling on his skates.

As she'd expected, Helen was more than a little unsteady on feet which, much to her displeasure, meant that she was leaning heavily on Nikola who seemed perfectly at ease on the ice.

"I still don't know how you talked me into this," she muttered as they made a lazy path around the rink. It was small and a little too crowded for her liking, several rather talented children swirling around them happily.

"I didn't," he answered casually. "I simply talked to you until it was too late to back out of the line."

"Cheeky," she grumbled, grabbing his arm more tightly as a child darted in front of them, startling her.

"You need to relax," Nikola whispered softly, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "You know how to do this and, if memory serves, you're very good at it."

"It's been well over 80 years since I've tried this," she complained. "Excuse me for taking a little time to adjust."

Nikola simply chuckled, holding her tightly as they continued to skate.

It took a few minutes of gentle coaching from him and several barely spoken curses from her but soon enough Helen was gliding along more freely, her hand in Nikola's for comfort rather than support. It hadn't escaped her attention that they'd been holding hands most of the evening and while the whole concept was odd, the simple pleasure of being that close to another human being (and a human being who smelled wonderful at that) was something she hadn't experienced in a long time. This was Nikola, the sweet if not a little caustic man of her youth. This was her friend. Sure he'd made one or two highly suggestive comments but for the most part he'd been remarkably well behaved, simply holding her arm as they took in the sights and sounds of the Christmas market. She knew it was no coincidence that he brought her here, her fondness for these kinds of markets was something all the boys had remarked upon, calling it her one concession to feminine pursuits. The truth of it was, she enjoyed the warmth of them, the atmosphere that spoke of family and happiness.

And funnily enough, when she thought of family, Nikola was almost always included in that in some way. Pervy uncle, temperamental child, overdressed and alcoholic aunt, even the condescending grandfather if he felt the occasion required as such. But he was never just family, none of the Five had ever been. There had always been something more, just that tiny hint that wasn't quite familial. Of course, Nikola pushed that to the max with his blatant desire to be more than just her friend but in some strange way it was comforting to know that he still found her attractive after all these years. She knew the thought made her ridiculously vain, after all these years she should have learnt to banish such insecurities but knowing that Nikola was still interested in both her mind and her body satisfied that girly part of her she'd never paid much attention to.

"That's a very sly smile you're wearing Miss Magnus," Nikola whispered, startling her ever so slightly. "Care to share?"

"Not today," she replied with a grin, releasing his hand and skating away from him slightly. "And how many times do I have to tell you it's Doctor."

"Probably just once more," he replied with a smile, racing after her with inhumane speed, grabbing at her waist before she could get too far away from him.

"You know that's cheating, right?" Helen grumbled as he wrapped his arms around her, slowing as they moved to the edge of the rink.

"How is using my natural talents cheating?" he asked, scandalized. "Just because you're jealous of my grace."

Helen snorted, twisting around to face him.

"Don't worry dear," he said kindly. "You're still very graceful."

"And I was so enjoying this evening. Why did you have to go and ruin it?" she said, punctuating her words with a light slap to his arm.

"Oh I do love it when you're violent," he replied with a grin, shifting closer until they were almost pressed chest to chest.

"Another reason I should have brought my gun."

"Oh Helen," he moaned in fake ecstasy, pulling her closer. "More, please!"

"Perhaps I could use these blades," she mused, tapping his toe with her own. Nikola chuckled, saying nothing as she settled rather comfortably against his chest. She toyed with the idea of pushing away but he was warm and she was cold and his hands were on her waist with no indication that they were going to move anywhere more lecherous. Looking up, it took her by surprise how close they were. There wasn't much between their heights but now, with her hands pressed to his chest and his around her waist she felt ridiculously small against his wiry frame.

He was looking down at her, a twinkle in his eye and smile on his face and she thought briefly that he might be contemplating kissing her. He even cocked his head over so slightly. She could just about feel his breath on her lips and while she didn't really think kissing Nikola would be the best decision of her life, at this point she was fairly certain it wouldn't be the worst. It was odd, part of her brain mused, that she'd had nothing to drink and it was still relatively early in the evening yet still she was feeling something akin to dizzy.

Then Nikola licked his lips slowly, twinkle never fading as he did so and her heart picked up. Surely he wasn't going to kiss her, not in the middle of a public place when he knew he was (pun intended) on thin ice. He didn't seriously think he'd be allowed to get away with it, did he?

"Hey!" a young voice called, interrupting the moment. Nikola was the first to move, twisting his head to look down at the source of the familiar voice.

"Finished singing for the evening then?" he asked with a smile, pushing away from Helen ever so slightly yet still managing to keep an arm around her waist.

"Yeah, but yous weren't there," the red headed elf said with a pout.

"No, we got caught up looking at all the stalls. But we most certainly heard you," he continued as the young girl wobbled precariously on her own set of skates.

"And?" she prompted, hands on hips.

"You were magnificent," he supplied. "I wouldn't be surprised if every single boy here tonight fell in love with you for your singing alone."

"Ew," the girl said, wrinkling her nose. "Why would I want a boy to fall in love with me? They're icky."

Nikola chuckled and Helen knew where this was going before the words were even out of his mouth.

"I'm not sure, why don't you ask Helen?"

"Prat," she muttered, slapping his abdomen as she pushed him away. "You're right, boys are icky," she said to the girl. "Plus I can't think of a single thing we'd need them for, can you?"

"Nah-uh," the girl said, shaking her head vehemently. "My sister says that boys are more trouble than they're worth."

"Well she's right," Helen agreed solemnly, ignoring Nikola's chuckle as he snaked his arm around her waist once more.

Sighing, the girl did a quick spin before smiling radiantly at them.

"I've got to go now but it was very nice to meet you," she said, bobbing a small, awkward curtsey before gliding away.

"Now why did you have to go and poison her mind like that," Nikola said, shaking his head.

"I did no such thing," Helen replied haughtily but she was unable to keep the smile from her face.

"You can't honestly tell me you believe that men serve no purpose," he argued, tightening his grip on her.

"Boys serve no purpose in my life," she corrected with a devilish smile. "Men most certainly have their uses."

And with that she spun from his arms, skating away with a laugh.

"After all," she called over her shoulder, "what would I do without my very own Christmas elf?"


End file.
